![CDATA[Good morning, my Lord God]]

![CDATA[How should we start the day? Any day... whether it’s a sunny day or a stormy day. Simply to greet with joy our Creator, our Provider, our Healer, our Comforter, our Stronghold and Strength, and our Savior. Just saying: “Good morning, my Lord God!” works wonders. Suddenly, we feel the “peace of God that transcends all understanding” flowing in our veins. Problems of all sizes and shapes are forgotten. Anxiety about an uncertain future vanishes in thin air. Instead, we feel safe and secure with the assurance that our faithful God is around us. What a joyful feeling indeed!

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Unfortunately, many of us face a new day with fear. Unnecessary and destructive fears. Instead of shouting the greeting “Good morning, my Lord God,” we get jittery, we get tense, we let problems crowd our mind and we lose faith in our Almighty God. Here is what one Christian writer said:

“We are afraid of the unknown,

“We’re afraid of old age; afraid of growing senile and dependent.

“We’re afraid of change; afraid to plunge into that new relationship, job or way of life.

“We’re afraid of the future.

“We’re afraid to risk; afraid to fail or appear as if we failed.

“We’re afraid to love; afraid to trust.

“We’re afraid of closeness; afraid we might get hurt.

“We’re afraid to die. Like what Henry Van Dyke said, ‘Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live.”

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Reading every day the Holy Bible will strengthen our faith and trust in our living God. From a Bible-believing Christian’s point of view, guidance from God for our daily living is found in the Holy Bible. For example, in the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament, we find the following verse: “Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

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It’s a great joy to be alive! Let us also realize that busying ourselves to amass possessions, prestige, power, and other worldly things will not insure our VIP position in eternity. As someone said: “Only one life will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” We are just travelers passing through the earth.

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There have been great men in history who did not realize until it was too late that after all is said and done, it is only our Lord God that matters. Not the worldly accomplishments and wealth. Remember Voltaire, the French philosopher, novelist, and historian and one of the greatest French writers? When he was seriously sick, he told his attending doctor: “I will give you half of my wealth if you can prolong my life for at least 6 months.” This was the same Voltaire who once said: “Another century and there will be not a Bible on earth.” Contrary to Voltaire’s prediction, the Bible continues to be world’s best seller – put together in a period of about 1,600 years covering 60 generations, participated in by more than 40 authors from various backgrounds, writing in various styles on hundreds of controversial subjects covering varied happenings at different times in three different places, in three different continents (Asia, Europe, Africa); under different moods and at different times and in different languages. Many do not know that 50 years after Voltaire’s death (he died in 1778), the Geneva Bible Society bought Voltaire’s old printing press and the house where he lived. The Geneva Bible Society later used Voltaire’s printing press to print more bibles. Voltaire’s house was also made the headquarters for the distribution of the bibles and the house where he lived. The Geneva Bible Society later used Voltaire’s printing press to print more Bibles. Voltaire’s house was also made the headquarters for the distribution of the Bibles.

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Greeting the great “I AM” upon waking up with: “Good morning, my Lord God...” is a beautiful way of starting a new day. Saying “Good night, my Lord God” upon retiring is a wondrous way of thanking God for another day of living.

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This column continues to give out copies of the Holy Bible for free to those who cannot afford to buy their own copies. If interested, please send your letter-request to Ms. Nelly Favis Villafuerte, 5233 Fahrenheit St., Palanan, Makati City. Kindly mention if it is the Tagalog, English, Cebuano, or Ilocano Bible that is preferred.

Be joyful and forgiving! (Comments may be sent to Ms. Villafuerte’s email: villafuerte_nelly@yahoo.com.)]]

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